


Underneath The Tree

by AgentHawk11



Series: Countdown to Christmas [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, F/M, Fluff, Team as Family, countdown to christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 01:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21679126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentHawk11/pseuds/AgentHawk11
Summary: “honestly, I wouldn’t have cared if you hadn’t gotten me anything. I love you, Maddie, I’m just happy to spend the holiday with you.”
Relationships: Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Series: Countdown to Christmas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562821
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	Underneath The Tree

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. Welcome back to me doing something I shouldn’t be doing, but doing anyway because I’m a glutton for punishment. I’m gonna try to balance this with all the other stuff I got going on.
> 
> Christmas song title: Underneath The Tree by Kelly Clarkson
> 
> I was inspired by a friend on Tumblr to write this and I hope you enjoy it.

The firehouse was lively with Christmas cheer and conversation, as Maddie looked around at the group she’d come to know of as friends and family. She could hear all the kids laughing, playing, enjoying themselves. She smiled at the sound. It was amazing what Karen had done for them and she remembered overhearing some of the kids say this was the best Christmas they’d ever had. It was then that an idea formed in her head.

She ultimately decided to keep the money and cash the check before the banks closed for the holidays, placing it in a separate account from her checking and other saving account. She didn’t need it, she wasn’t wanting for anything, but she wasn’t going to let it go to waste. She decided to keep some in case her family ever needed anything and give most of it to charity. And she knew the first place she wanted it to go. She excused herself and went to her car to grab her bag.

After she returned, everyone enjoyed themselves for another hour before things started to wind down. Shifts were coming to an end and everyone was starting to leave. She received another hug from the mom that was thankful to be back with her son on Christmas. Maddie was thankful she was able to make it happen. Not soon as she they left she saw a woman that worked with the group home director and couple of other employees coming to get the children.

Maddie took a deep breath and walked over to her, “hi, excuse me,” she said getting her attention. “I was wondering do you guys take donations?”

She greeted Maddie with a bright smile and questioning eyes, “we do...”, her words trailed off, obviously wondering were this was going.

Maddie reached into her pocket, pulled out the folded check and handed it to young woman. “Merry Christmas.”

She unfolded the check, eyes widening “holy shit,” words slipping past her lips loudly. She chuckled nervously, not meaning to say it. Buck and Chimney, who had been helping gather all of the children’s Christmas presents came over towards them at the outburst. Peering over the woman shoulder Buck whistled and Chimney smiled at Maddie knowingly.

“This is amazing,” the woman sputtered, “and too much, I mean, $5,000? I- we-“

“Take it, please. I don’t need it and I wanted to do something, hoping it would help.”

“It will. Thank you so much,” the woman leaned in and gave her tight hug.

“You’re more than welcome. I hope all of you have a happy holiday.”

“You do the same. Thank you so much! All of you, for everything.” She folded the check and put it in her bag as she walked away.

Maddie watched them all leave over the railing of the loft, Chimney came up beside her and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I see you found a use for that money after all.”

“Yeah, I did,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him, leaning into his side.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, “you know,” she heard her brother’s voice say, “since you’re in such a giving mood, sis, I could use a small loan. A couple of thousand should hold me over.” She shrugged out of his touch and rolled her eyes. She looked over at Chimney to see him doing the same. Grabbing his hand they walked away from Buck and down the stairs. “Oh come on, Madds, I was kidding, unless you wanna give it to me... and you’re still walking away... I’m gonna remember this...” the sound of Buck’s voice started trailing off as they walked further away.

Maddie turned on the light as she and Chinmey walked into his home. After saying their goodbyes to everyone, they went back to his place, as she wanted to go there. They were greeted by the sight of the decorations she had put and finished decorating.

“Wow, did you?” Chimney eyes were wide in surprise not expecting the sight. Maddiesimply nodded. “When?”

“I kinda stole your key and came by to finish decorating earlier today. After... I, um, just realized that my healing starts with letting go and learning to move on. I want to do that and, most importantly, I want to do that with you.” She stepped forward to kiss him. “If you want that, too.”

He took her hands on his, “of course I want that. Actually, I want to talk to you about something. And all of this has been the perfect segue into it” He kissed her again. “Hold on,” he said before running towards the back, leaving Maddie standing in the middle of the living room. She walked towards the tree and fiddled with branches as the lights twinkled. She took a seat on the floor near it, spotting her present for Chimney underneath.

Almost as quickly as he left, Chimney returned carrying a small box shaped gift, wrapped in red wrapping paper and a metallic silver ribbon. He wordlessly sat on the floor near her andheld out to her. Maddie smiling as she took it. “I thought long and hard about what to get you,” he paused taking a deep breath, “it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I kept warring with myself about if it’s the right time or not and well.., I should stop talking and let you open it.”

“O...kay,” Maddie had no idea what to make of anything Chimney just said. It only served to heighten her excitement and anticipation for what he possible could have gotten her. She untied the ribbon and ripped off the paper not caring that all of it fell to the floor. It gave way to a solid white box. Opening the the top and placing it under the bottom, she found another slightly smaller box, black velvet, an obvious jewelry box. She smiled up at her boyfriend, “Howie, what is this?”

“You’ll see, just open it.” He encouraged. Though, he was smiling she could still see the nervousness radiating off of him.

Maddie did as she was told. As soon as she opened the box she gasped audibly. The rose gold, diamond heart pendant necklace was beautiful. She ran he fingers over it before, “babe, this is beautiful.” Her voice cracked with emotion.

“There’s more.” Chimney said simply.

“There’s more?” Confused, Maddie looked back at the jewelry box. So caught up in the necklace she missed the little note in the lidthat said “lift me” and had an arrow pointing to the latch above where the necklace lay. Putting the box down on the ground so she could do this carefully, she lifted the compartment and took it out, finding a gleaming silver key at the bottom. She took it out and held it up. She stared at it for a moment before, the realization hit her, it looked just like his house key.

“I can see by the realization on your face that you’ve figured it out.”

“Howie-” She started and stopped, at a loss for words as the tears welled in her eyes.

“Maddie, I want you to know that this doesn’t mean anything you don’t want it to. I just thought with how everything is going between us and the fact that you’re over here more often than not, your stuff has taken over most of my drawers,” they both laughed at that, “I just thought that I wanted you to have that to come and go as you pleased.”

“Babe, are you- are you asking me to move in with you?”

“Yes, I mean, no. I mean yes, I would love it, but that wasn’t my purpose for giving you the key. I wanted you to have it regardless. I know moving in together is huge and I didn’t want to pressure you-“

“I’d love to.” Maddie jumped in, interrupting him before he got too far.

He looked at her, stunned. “You would?”

“Yes.” She placed the key back in the box and leaned forward to take his hands in hers, “Like you said, I’m already over here more often than not. Plus the lease on my place is almost up, so it works out actually. And it’s something I’ve thought about too, living together. Let’s do it.”

“Let’s do it!” Chimney’s lips met hers. When they broke apart she wiped the tears from her eyes and marveled at her amazing boyfriend. He took the necklace out of it’s place and held it up, “may I?”

She nodded and turned her back towards him. She moved her hair out of the way as the cool metal touched her skin. She dropped it when she heard the small click of the clasp. She turned back towards him, clutching the pendant. She couldn’t believe he had done all of this. It was so simple, yet meant so much to her.

At this point, she was hating the gift she got for him. It was no where near the caliber of what he’d gotten her. It was too late to change now. Reluctantly she reached for the gift she placed under his tree and handed it to him.

“For me? You shouldn’t have,” he said cheekily as she handed him the gift. She rolled her eyes in the jest. He made a show of shaking it, getting a small rattling sound. “I wonder what it could be.” She just gave him a look. “And Christmas Dalmatians, that’s cute.” He chuckled at the themed wrapping paper as he ripped it. She watched as he popped the tape on the light blue box, unfolded the tissue paper inside, and pulled out the brown cashmere, buttoned cardigan that she’d bought him. “Woah, this is nice!”

“Really?” She asked nervously.

“Yes, really,” he ran his hands over, “and feels so soft.”

“You were talking about how much you needed a new sweater and I came across this one. I thought you’d like it.”

“I love it.” He leaned towards her and kissed her on the cheek, “so thoughtful.”

“Nowhere near as thoughtful as your gift.” Maddie grumbled.

“Hey, that’s not true. You paid attention to something even I forgot about telling you and got me something I needed. That’s pretty thoughtful in my book,” Chimney put the sweater back in the box, “honestly, I wouldn’t have cared if you hadn’t gotten me anything. I love you, Maddie, I’m just happy to spend the holiday with you.”

She could feel the emotion swelling again as she said, “I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know those thoughts!


End file.
